Talanoa 2008 & 2009 unpacked the stresses of migration and pains of diaspora, at home and abroad, hence the next gathering aims to shift the lines of thinking from migration and diaspora toward becoming locals. The shifts will be from the identities and mentalities of fobs and overstayers toward being and functioning as locals and citizens. Since this gathering favors people of Oceania, the overall theme -- Niu locals -- is a play on words: niu is one of the words for coconut, and it anticipates newness also. Talanoa 2010 is therefore an invitation: to be or not to be Niu locals!

      Talanoa 2010 targets Niu people who struggle to fit into the rhythms, ways and values, of others. How do we go about being Niu locals in lands where we are not the indigenous people? What do we learn from the locals around us? And for Niu people who live in home islands, who wrestle with what it means to belong at home, can you help us become locals?

      The shifts of Niu locals require that we rethink who we are, how we talk and think, and the ways we celebrate and conduct our personal and communal routines.